A vast variety of sunglasses and other lenses with optical filtration have been developed and introduced. Many of the recent improvements to sunglasses have concerned changes in the design of the frames to make the sunglasses more comfortable to wear. Additionally, several decorative frame designs have been introduced. A number of improvements to sunglass lenses have also been introduced. The improvements related to sunglass lenses generally have concerned the optical properties of the lenses, including filtration and technologies to reduce the intensity of light, such as polarizing lenses which serve to remove glare.
Sunglasses and other devices have evolved to successfully and efficiently accomplish a variety of purposes. Sunglasses, for example, can remove harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from viewed sunlight. Sunglasses can provide protection from light and glare by modifying the physical properties of the light as the light passes through a lens.
Many individuals wear sunglasses or similar devices while driving a vehicle, operating a boat, controlling machinery and the like. Many of these lenses distort the field of view and/or reduce the amount of light passing through the eye, thereby interfering with the ability of a user to read, see and understand an instrument panel, discern a navigation screen, read a sign, view a map with associated text or participate in any other activity requiring a greater amount of the available light and a less distorted view. While conventional sunglasses work well at reducing outside light and glare, a user may have difficulty viewing objects either in close proximity to the user or at a distance while wearing conventional sunglasses. The user may have to physically remove his sunglasses while participating in any of the aforementioned activities to better see the object or light source he is trying to view. For example, a user may experience difficulty reading a map or driving instructions scribbled on a piece of paper without removing his sunglasses. The chore of continually removing and replacing sunglasses to view an object can become tiresome and, in some cases, dangerous.
A need exists for an apparatus which allows for optical filtration of light yet allows a user to concurrently view objects and light sources which require a greater amount of available light or/and a less distorted view.